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‘Til Death Do Us Part, Amanda Quick

Pub Date 19 Apr 2016

Avid Amanda Quick/Jane Castle fans will LOVE this book. Quick starts with brief note of introduction for readers to let them know they may not be in Kansas any more. Do you remember back in the day when Quick had all those wonderful one title books- Rendezvous, Surrender, Seduction, etc.? The suspenseful page-turner of the past is back with this dark Victorian mystery romance.

The scene, tempo and mood is quickly set in chapter one. Darkness descends in chapter two and in chapter three you’re hooked in a turn-the-page, don’t put the book/e-reader down and the dreaded “I may have to call in sick as I stayed up all night to finish this book.” thought when you realize the sun is rising.

Readers skin may crawl while reading the story line written from the viewpoint of the ‘unknown’ character (the ‘who done it’) who has a fixation with death, which the title eludes to. Quick masterfully intertwines the twisted thoughts of the antagonist, keeping readers guessing who this mentally deranged character is–think Jack from Stephen Kings The Shining, which is cool in a creepy way.

As for our lovable characters, the H/H, Calista Langly and Trent Hastings, are a great match for readers who expect witty dialogue and intense attraction. In a small way, these two characters remind me of relationship of Castle and Beckett from Castle (pre-marriage seasons). Calista is a business woman who found a niche in matchmaking via an ‘introduction’ service which caters to the elite, yet shy, intellectual types of London providing ‘salons’ in which clients can mingle, which gives reason for Trent, a crime novelist who spends most of his time writing, to personally inquire about the legitimacy of his sister’s new interest.

Calista has an intellectual nature which enhances her curiosity which encorporates nicely her bluntness in speech while enterprising nature makes for a delightful heroine. She quickly becomes the woman behind the writer, testing Trent’s fictional character, Clive Stone, with real life investigation.

Trent is that hero who women love, or at least I do. He’s a little nerdy with a sense of humor and the physical characteristics Quick describes as “…sort of individual one might expect to encounter in a dark ally on a moonless night.” Throughout TDDUP readers may find insights writing as I found several parallels with Trent and Quick’s careers. Research, deadlines, fickle readers, endless complaints and constant editing are par for course of being a writer as many of my writer friends will attest.

All I can say is Thank You Amada Quick for not only writing this wonderful novel, but for the mystery and intrigue and entertainment. Readers don’t forget to pre-order this book, you’ll help Amanda with sales and give yourself a well deserved treat.